Description

Super Mario RPG is a console RPG starring none other than Nintendo's popular character Mario. This game starts off like almost every other Mario game, with Bowser kidnapping Princess Toadstool. However, when Mario goes to Bowser's Keep to save her, a giant sword made by the evil Smithy crashes into the castle and sends Mario, the Princess, and Bowser flying to separate parts of the world.

The game plays much like a traditional RPG: Mario and the members of his party gain experience points by defeating enemies. These experience points can increase the team's maximum number of hit points and flower points (magic points). The battles are also turn-based, but this time there are timed attacks and defenses. Timed attacks allow you to inflict more harm than normal to an enemy. Timed defenses, on the other hand, allow an enemy to inflict less harm than normal. You are only allowed to have three out of five team members on your party at a time. Mario is always in your party, regardless. Your team members can also purchase more weapons and abilities, along with better armor.

Trivia

1001 Video Games

Cameos

There are lots of cameos and game-related appearances in this game: Link is sleeping in Rose Town Inn, Samus Aran appears in a bed at the Mushroom Kingdom Castle, models of Arwings from Star Fox and F-Zero racecars can be seen in Hinopio's Shop, Final Fantasy IV's boss music plays while fighting Culex and last, but not least, there's a boy in the Mushroom Kingdom playing on a Gameboy!

Cut content

There were a number of enemies which were designed and coded for the game but didn't make it into the final version. The related links section has a site that contains pictures and information on these enemies (as well as other things).

Dialogue

Mario doesn't have any dialog in this game. Not one word. He will however nod his head yes/no and act out previous events in order to explain things to other characters. He'll even dress up for the occasion.

Exor

A big misconception (poor dialog?) with this game is that the giant sword's name is "Smithy". That is incorrect.The sword's name is "Exor". Smithy is the person who made the sword and head honcho of it as well as several other of the enemies.

Awards

EGM

Feb. 2006 (Issue #200) - named #103 out of 200 of the "Greatest Games of Their Time"